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Latrobe Water Fact Sheet 2: Water for the Environment

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Latrobe Water Fact Sheet 2: Water for the Environment Latrobe water fact sheet 2: Water for the environment This fact sheet is number two in a series that illustrate how water is utilised in the Latrobe basin Understanding the Latrobe The waterways of the Latrobe system are also significant to the Traditional Owners, the River system Gunaikurnai. Protecting and managing water is a The Latrobe River originates on the Baw Baw custodial and intergenerational responsibility. Plateau and passes through relatively flat to undulating plains cleared for agriculture, before Ensuring water for the flowing into Lake Wellington. Notable tributaries environment. include the Tanjil River, Narracan Creek, Morwell The Latrobe’s rivers, creeks and wetlands don’t get River, Tyers River and Traralgon Creek. The the water they once did. The Latrobe Valley waterways of the Latrobe River System as well as Regional Water Study showed that annual surface the Thomson River, which joins the Latrobe River water availability in the Latrobe River system has in its lower section and managed separately, decreased significantly in the past 20 years, from support Ramsar-listed wetlands and the around 800 gigalitres a year to about 600 Gippsland Lakes. gigalitres a year since 1997 (based on averages This system of rivers, creeks, streams, wetlands from 1975). A series of future water scenarios were and lakes supports important plants, fish, animals tested and found that should a future ‘dry climate’ and birds. Some of the species found here are scenario emerge, annual water availability in the currently endangered or vulnerable and are Latrobe River is projected to decline substantially. critical to the ecological character of the area. The These figures show we must all plan for a drying biodiversity and environmental condition of the future. Latrobe River, its tributaries, lakes and wetlands, The Latrobe River system relies on freshwater flows are an essential part of the Latrobe region’s status to provide ecologically critical water cycles as a tourism and recreation destination. including low flows, freshes and high flows. These freshwater flows also contribute to the health of the delwp.vic.gov.au Latrobe water fact sheet 2: Water for the environment highly valued Gippsland Lakes Ramsar Site It’s the whole pattern of flows—from when and at including the lower Latrobe wetlands, namely Sale what frequency it flows, how long it lasts, and at Common, Heart Morass and Dowd Morass. This what volumes. The health of the Latrobe River water is provided through the environmental water system relies on its remaining freshwater flows, reserve, a legally recognised volume of water set supplemented by deliveries from the aside for the environment to preserve the environmental entitlements to help replace some environmental values and health of water of the ecologically critical flow components that ecosystems. have been lost through river regulation and water extraction for industry, towns and agriculture. This reserve includes environmental entitlements, which are the legal rights to take and use water for The Latrobe River system supports plants, wildlife the health and benefit of the environment and ecological communities, many of which are (including rivers, wetlands, floodplains and lakes). classified as threatened, vulnerable, endangered, In Victoria, these entitlements are held by the or critically endangered. The ability for these Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH). species in particular to complete their life cycles demonstrate whether the river’s flows, refuge pools In the Latrobe system, the VEWH currently hold two and habitats are healthy. environmental water entitlements: Without these environmental flows, the entire The Lower Latrobe wetlands Environmental Latrobe River system would be in poorer health. Entitlement 2010, which allows water to be diverted Other benefits include: from the Latrobe River to three priority wetlands that form part of the Gippsland Lakes Ramsar Site • Maintain or increase in-stream geomorphic (Sale Common, Dowd Morass and Heart Morass) diversity. when river levels are above specified heights. • Improve the condition and increase extent The Blue Rock Environmental Entitlement 2013, and diversity of submerged, emergent and which provides shares of inflows into the Blue Rock riparian vegetation. Reservoir. This allows the VEWH to provide • Avoid adverse water quality conditions targeted environmental water deliveries. (such as high salinity) in the lower Latrobe The environmental water reserve also includes River and estuary. water that is set aside for the environment by • Maintain or increase native fish (migratory, placing limits on how much water can be taken resident and estuary) populations including from the system. It is also known as above-cap eels as well as existing populations of water. In the Latrobe River this is by far the biggest platypus, rakali (water rat) and freshwater contributor to the long-term availability of water turtle plus all macro- and micro- for the environment invertebrates. The benefits of environmental • Increase frog populations and their range, water while maintaining refuge habitats. The flow of a river is essential to its ecosystem. An environmental flow regime is not simply the amount of water that flows through a river system. Latrobe water fact sheet 2: Water for the environment Commercial fishing has ceased as of 2020 in an effort to rebuild fish stocks with an emphasis on Spotlight on Heart Morass Restorations: recreational fishing. However, a drying climate and Substantial restorations have been undertaken increase in water use threaten the lakes as well as on Heart Morass from 2006 led by West the significant economic benefits to the region Gippsland Catchment Management Authority. provided by recreation and tourism. This large wetland area had been used for heavy The lakes are an important drought refuge for grazing and suffered from acid sulphate and wildlife, regularly holding up to 20,000 waterbirds salinity. But through active engagement, the and 86 species including ducks, swans, coots and 1,800-hectare area is once again a diverse space other waterfowl. It is also an important site for rare, that contributes to the health of the Gippsland vulnerable, endangered or threatened in Victoria Lakes with 30,000 birds having since returning to birds, mammals, amphibians, fish and the wetland. Environmental water is used to invertebrates. Those found in the Gippsland lakes replicate seasonal flooding patterns that are include: fundamental to sustaining Heart Morass. —Green and golden bell frog (vulnerable) —Growling grass frog (vulnerable) —Australian grayling (vulnerable) The Gippsland Lakes—an —Australasian bittern (endangered) environment to protect —Dwarf kerrawang (endangered) The Gippsland Lakes are the largest estuarine —Swamp everlasting (vulnerable) lagoon system in Australia. They are Ramsar- —Metallic sun-orchid (endangered) recognised for their International Importance due —Burrunan dolphin (threatened) to their very significant environmental values. In January 2016, the Victorian Government approved The Gippsland Lakes Ramsar Site Management Top image: Freckled duck on the Latrobe River Plan, which was developed by the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority recognising the international obligations that come with a site being listed under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. © The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning 2020 Accessibility This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution If you would like to receive this publication 4.0 International licence. You are free to re-use the work under that licence, on the condition that you credit the State in an alternative format, please telephone of Victoria as author. The licence does not apply to any images, photographs or branding, including the Victorian Coat of Arms, the Victorian Government logo the DELWP Customer Service Centre on and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) logo. 136186, To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ISBN 978-1-76105-218-7 (print) email [email protected] Disclaimer or via the National Relay Service on 133 This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its 677 www.relayservice.com.au. employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all This document is also available on the liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. internet at www.delwp.vic.gov.au. .
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